Apparatus for liquid-treating fiber materials and drying said materials

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for the liquid treatment and drying of fiber materials has a container with first and second chambers communicating with each other, and means located within the container support the material in a position between the chambers so that they communicate with each other solely through the intermediary of the material. The suction side of a vacuum pump is connected to the first chamber for evacuating it during treatment of the material, and to the second chamber through a condenser to facilitate drying of the material by means of air and/or steam introduced through a conduit into the first chamber.

United States Parent 1 3,631,691

[72] Inventors Fridrieh Wilhelm Johann Kan-er 5 References CitedStrandvngen 37, Stockholm, Sweden;

Alberto Pedr'ettl, V18 Chelinl 9, Rome, Italy U D STATES PATENTS [2]]App]. 829,408 465,871 12/1891 Mason 68/189 X [22] Filed June 2 19692,207,899 7/1940 Seymour 68/189 [45] Patented Jam4, 1972 2,446,5028/1948 Wehrli 68/189 X Priority May 31,1968 3,145,555 8/1964 Krantz68/189 [33] Sweden Primary Examiner-Stanley N. Gilreath [31] 7396/68Attorney-Brumbaugh, Graves, Donohue & Raymond APPARATUS FORLIQUID-TREATING FIBER ABSTRACT: An apparatus for the liquid treatmentand drying MAT R AL AN DRYING A MATERIALS of fiber materials has acontainer with first and second cham- 2 Claims, 3 Drawing g berscommunicating with each other, and means located 52 U.S. Cl as/2o,within the eemehrer supper the materiel a Poem 6368H8928l58 between thechambers so that they communicate with each 51 Int. Cl D06f 17/02 Othereelely rhreugh the intermediary efrhe materiel The erre- 501 Field ofSearch 68/20, 7, Side of e vaeurrm P is eermeeted re first ehember23/58, 8/154 155, 1551 1552 for evacuating it during treatment of thematerial, and to the second chamber through a condenser to facilitatedrying of the material by means of air and/or steam introduced through aconduit into the first chamber.

PATENTEI] JAN 4 i972 SHEET 1 BF 3 PATENTEUJAH M972 3.631.691

SHEET 2 UF 3 7 Jf Tw APPARATUS FOR LIQUID-TREATING FIBER MATERIALS ANDDRYING SAID MATERIALS The present invention is concerned with anapparatus for treating fiber materials with liquid and drying saidmaterials, and is particularly concerned with such treatment of textilematerials such as yarn wound on bobbins.

The invention is also concerned with an apparatus in which the liquidtreatment and drying of such materials can be effected rapidly and withsmall power consumption.

It has previously been suggested to dry the textile material in the sameapparatus as that in which the liquid treatment process was effected.Hitherto, however, drying of the material has required such a long timethat it has not been economically profitable to perform this process inthe same apparatus as that in which the material was treated withliquid, despite the obvious advantages that this would imply. However,such a drying process can be effected to great advantage in an apparatusdesigned in accordance with the present invention upon completion of theliquid treatment process.

The apparatus comprises a known dyeing apparatus, in the form of aclosed container having holders for positioning the textile materialtherein in such a manner that communication between two chambers locatedin the apparatus is only obtained through the material, conduits forintroducing treatment fluid in one chamber and a vacuum pump, thesuction side of which is connected to the other chamber to provide forits evacuation.

According to the invention conduits are also connected to the containerfor passing air and/or steam to the other chamber, and a vacuum pump isalso adapted to be connected at its suction side to the first chamber.In addition a condenser is positioned in the conduit passing to thesuction side of the vacuum pump, or the pump itself is adapted tocondense steam.

The apparatus will now be described with reference to the drawings, inwhich FIG. 1 shows a dyeing and drying apparatus according to theinvention;

FIG. 2 shows the treatment container proper in enlarged scale, and

FIG. 3 shows a modification of the system of FIG. 1.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 1 includes a container 21 for receivingstationarily arranged treatment goods, such as bobbins, and a dyecontainer 22.

Connected to the treatment container 21, which may be heat insulated orprovided with a steam jacket for heating the material during and/orbefore the process, is a circulation system, comprising a conduit 24provided with a shutoff valve 25, a heat exchanger 26 adapted to beheated with water, steam or some other heating medium which is conductedthrough the conduit 27, a conduit 28, a circulation pump 29 and aconduit 30 provided with a valve 31.

The dye container 22 is provided with an outlet conduit 34 by means ofwhich the dye can be transferred from the circulation system to thetreatment container 21, via the conduit 35 presenting the shutoff valve36.

Also connected to the container 21 is a conduit 48 provided with a valve49, which communicates with the suction side of a vacuum pump 52.

A conduit 59 having a shutoff valve 60 connects the conduit 30 with theconduit 48.

A condenser 61 is placed in the conduit 48 and is provided with aconduit 62 for leading away the condensed water. If the pump 52.is, forinstance, a water ring pump the condenser 61 can be omitted since steamcan condense in the pump.

As will be seen from FIG. 2 the lower portion of the container 21 isprovided with an inner chamber 10, connected to the conduit 30. Materialcarrier means 15 in the form of perforated tubes are mounted on thechamber and communicate with the interior thereof. The carriers arearranged to support bobbins 16.

The outer space 12 of the container communicates with the conduit 48 andwith the conduit 24. A steam conduit 58, having a valve 580, and an airconduit 50, having a valve 50a, also communicate with the outer space12. A heat exchanger 57 is provided for heating the air.

The dyeing process is carried out, for instance, so that subsequent toplacing the material in the container 21 the said container is placed inconnection with the suction side of the pump 52, so that the outer space12 of the container is evacuated. When the desired vacuum has beenreached liquid dye is passed into the treatment container from thecontainer 22 through the conduit 24, until the material in the container21 is completely covered with liquid. The circulation is then started upthrough the heat exchanger 26, by means of the circulation pump 29.

When the dyeing process has been terminated and the circulation stoppedthe used dyeing liquid is tapped off and lead away by conduits (notshown) connected to the conduit 30. Washing water can then be passed tothe system (from a source, not shown in the drawings) for washing thematerial.

Subsequent to dyeing the material the atmosphere of the container andthe said material may be mechanically dewatered and heated byintroducing hot air and steam or a mixture thereof. When using a mixtureof air and steam the steam condensing in the material may serve toremove remaining chemical residues, whereby the preceding washingoperation can be shortened. The chamber 10 is then evacuated viaconduits 30, 59, 48 to a lower pressure (e.g. about 0.5 atm.,) whereuponthe pressure in the main part 12 of the container adjusting itself to ahigher pressure in response to the resistance to flow through thematerial, e.g. O. l0.3 atm. higher than in the chamber 10,simultaneously as hot air and/or steam is or are passed through theconduits 50 and 58 respectively. The steam formed during the dryingprocess then departs to the chamber 10 through the material,concurrently as presteaming heat is supplied to the air in the main partof the container by means of the heat exchanger 57 and/or steam. Thematerial, is, in this way, dried rapidly. The formed steam is condensedin the condenser 61 or the pump 52, and the resulting hot water, whichis carried away by the conduit 62, can be reused to supplement thehot-water requirements of the factory.

Since the drying process requires but relatively low power from thepump, it may be convenient to arrange two containers 21 connected to thesame vacuum pump 52, and operate them alternately, both for drying anddyeing. This alternative is shown to the left in FIG. 1, where acontainer 21b is shown connected to the vacuum pump 52 in the same wayas the container 21. Corresponding elements have the same maindesignations as the container 21 but with the addition of b. However,for the sake of simplicity certain elements with regard to the container21b have been omitted, such as the circulation system.

It is also possible, within the scope of this invention, to operate oneof the devices permanently as a drying apparatus and the otherpermanently as a dyeing or other liquid treatment apparatus. This isillustrated in FIG. 3, where the container 21 is to be used only fordyeing purposed, and the container 21b only for drying purposes. Thesystem is similar to the system of FIG. 1 except that for container 21the conduit 59 is omitted, and for container 21b the conduit 48b isomitted. Both containers are connected to the same vacuum pump 52,whereby it will be possible to accelerate dyeing in one apparatus anddry in the other apparatus by means of one vacuum pump.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for liquid treatment and drying of fiber material,comprising a container having first and second chambers thereincommunicating with each other, means located within the container forsupporting material to be treated and dried in a position between eachother solely through the intermediary of the material, means forintroducing treatment liquid into the first chamber and for circulatingsaid liquid through the material, a vacuum pump having a suction sideconnected to the first chamber for evacuating said two treatmentcontainers are connected in parallel to the same vacuum pump so thatwhile effecting a drying process in one container the dying process canbe simultaneously expedited in the other l i t t PO-105O (5/69) UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFEQE CERTEFIQATE @F QGRREQTEQN Patent N 3,631,691

Dated January 4, 1972 Inventofls) Fridrich Wilhelm Joha n Karrer It iscertified that error appears in the above-identified patent and thatsaid Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 38, after "or" line 50, after last word "of insert a-;

line 58, "purposed" should be --purposes, line 71, after "between"insert the following phrase -the chambers so that the chamberscommunicate with.

Signed and sealed this 25th day of July 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER, JR. Attesting Officer ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Commissionerof Patents '1 insert in;

1. An apparatus for liquid treatment and drying of fiber material,comprising a container having first and second chambers thereincommunicating with each other, means located within the container forsupporting material to be treated and dried in a position between eachother solely through the intermediary of the material, means forintroducing treatment liquid into the first chamber and for circulatingsaid liquid through the material, a vacuum pump having a suction sideconnected to the first chamber for evacuating said first chamber duringthe liquid treatment process, the suction side of the vacuum pumpcommunicating with the second chamber through a conduit in which isincluded a condenser, and means connected to the first chamber forintroducing air and/or steam for drying the material.
 2. An apparatusaccording to claim 1, characterized in that two treatment containers areconnected in parallel to the same vacuum pump so that while effecting adrying process in one container the dying process can be simultaneouslyexpedited in the other.